Lucky escape as 30 firefighters called to Helston Community Centre

Thirty firefighters from four different stations broke strike action last Friday following reports of a fire at Helston’s Culdrose Community Centre.

Crews from Helston, Mullion, St Keverne and St Ives were called out just after noon when smoke alarms began sounding in the Hibernia Road building, which measures 50 metres by 15 metres.

However, in the event there were no flames, but simply smoke that had set off the alarms when a motor burnt out in a loft space ventilator.

Firefighters wearing breathing equipment entered the building with two hosereels, two jets and two thermal imaging cameras to assess the scene. They then used high pressure fans to ventilate the building.

Colin Miller, a community care work assistant at the centre, said: “It’s all been cleared and dealt with. There was no damage, just smoke. We just need a clean up from all the firefighters coming in, although they were very good.”

The community hall, which is regularly hired out for parties, was not in use at the time as the morning activities had finished. Staff were evacuated into the car park as a precaution.

Events planned for the weekend and at the start of this week were cancelled and staff are now waiting on confirmation that it is safe to reopen to the public, which it is hoped will take place at the end of this week.